Aligning Ourselves with the Laws of the Universe

by Kaleb Montgomery, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Are you a better giver or receiver? For most of us, one or the other comes more naturally. To be as happy and healthy as we can be we need to be both a good receiver and giver.

One of the fundamental laws of the universe is change. Besides death and taxes the only thing we can count on is change. This is true even on a molecular level. All of the atoms in the universe are in constant motion. They are always moving around, bouncing here and there. Even though we look like the same person as yesterday, we are not. In fact from moment to moment we change constantly. Modern physics would agree with the Heraclitis saying that you can not step in the same river twice. The water you see now is gone and replaced by different water every second. All matter is like that river, always moving and changing. What does the changeability of matter have to do with giving and receiving and my health?

Well, by both giving and receiving we become more in tune with the constant molecular motion of our body and of everything else in nature. Giving is motion. Doing something for another requires that we get up and act. As well, on an energetic level, giving is moving energy/work/items from us to someone else. By giving we are doing exactly what energy wants to do; move from one place to another.

Receiving is the same, it encourages energy movement. In order to give someone must receive, you can not have one without the other. As well, by receiving, we allow the energy to flow back into the space that was just created by giving. Receiving, by replenishing the energy we put out, also allows us to keep on giving.

You can see that if you are always giving and not receiving, that eventually you will not be able to give anymore. By not receiving you are not allowing the energy to flow naturally into the vacuum you created by giving. Conversely if you are always receiving and not giving, you are not allowing the energy to flow from you to others. The energy gets backed up at you. Energy naturally wants to flow from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. So by allowing yourself to give you align with the movement that energy naturally wants to do, flow.

Also by giving, you then create an area of lower concentration which in turn energy naturally wants to flow into again. Thus you need both to give and receive to align yourself with the flow of nature. Holding back the energy, by not allowing yourself to give or receive, takes effort. It requires work to stop water from flowing downhill. The same is true of energy in our body. That energy that we use to hold back on giving or receiving is energy that is not being used by our immune system, digestive system, reproductive system or to repair our muscles and bones. That is why not receiving or giving is hazardous to our health. Not doing so wastes energy that our body could be using to repair and maintain itself.

Take a look at yourself. Are you are a better receiver or giver? Then do yourself a favour. Work on improving the one you are not as good at. You will be happier and healthier if you do. Next newsletter we will look at the relationship between giving and receiving and intimacy.